Portable baby-fence.



R. H. VILLARD.

PORTABLE BABY FENUB.

APPLIUATION FILED slm'. 2n. 190s.

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`RICHARD H. VILLARD, or New YORK, N. Y.

PORTABLE B AB Y-FENCE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Application filed September 29, 1908. Serial No. 465,377.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, RICHARD [-1. VILLARD, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at New York city, in the borough of Manhattan. county and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements inPortable BabyF ences, of which the following is a clear, full, and exactdescription.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved baby fence 0I'the like, so constructed that a child confined within the limits of thefence will not readily be able to climb out,and at the same time tosecure a riglid structure of panels pivoted one on the ot er, and joinedin the shape of a closed polygon.

In carrying out my invention I provide independent panels members,comprising horizontal top and bottom rods joined by a number of verticalslats. In the ends of each adjacent panel I provide pivotal means,. andI prefer that the top pivotal means shall be composed of a clamp toprevent angular motion of one panel with relation to the neXt. A specialform of clamp, which will readily secure these parts and be at the sametime easy to loosen b a grown person, will be described hereinaiter. Thetwo panels which form the free or end terminals of the fence when thesame is collapsed, are rovided with coupling members, which can eremovably secured together as will be described.

The scope of my invention will be set forth in the claims.

In the accom anying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view ofp the baby fenceconstructed according to my invention, having six sides. Fig. 2 is anenlarged view of the fence of Fig. 1 in collapsed position. Fig. 3 is aside elevation, partl broken away, of the fence, showing the reeterminal couplin Fig. 4 is a detailed plan of the upper etachablecoupling. Fig. 5 is va sectional side elevation of the clamping means inloosened position. Fig. 6 is a partial sectional side elevation of thedevice of Fig. 5 in lock position. Fig. 7 is a section in plan on line 77 Fig. 6.

Iy improved fence consists of a number of panels, each panel preferablycomposed of an u er horizontal rod 1 joined together by suita e verticalslats or rods 3. I prefer that the adjacent lower horizontal rods 2 befreely pivoted together by rivets 4, passing l through lates 5 securedone to each lower Khorizonta rod 2, in any suitable way. I prefer thatall pivot plates be secured to their rods by elongated projections 6,such as shown in Fig. 7, having reverselysharpened teeth, so that thesame may be driven lengthwise into the rods, and there held, though I donot limit myself to such means.

Plates 7 are secured in like manner to the upper horizontal rods, 1, andinstead of having a plain circular opening, I prefer that the openinghave a jagged edge, such as shown in Fi 7, where eig t right angularrecesses are s own equally disposed around the perimeter. Through theplates 7 I project a bolt 8 having a threaded part 9, a head 10 and asquare shoulder 11. The shoulder preferably has a depth of twice thethickness of one of the plates 7. A washer 12 surrounds the screw 8, anda thumb nut 13 preferably provided with fiat sides and over the bolt 8,so that upon tightenin the device, as shown in Fig. 6, the parts w1 l belocked in positive position, in view of the square shoulder 11 occupyingand iitting four of the right angular recesses in the two plates 7. Inorder to disenga e this couplin means to fold or collapse the ence, onenee( only unscrew the thumb nut 13 to place it in the osition of Fig. 5,and then ress downwardly on the thumb nut, which, as it engages the bolt8, will push the square shouler out of at least one of the lates 7, sothat the fence may be collapsed. IThe upper horizontal rod 1 of oneterminal anel, Instead of bein sup lied with a close plate 7, is providewit a bifurcated or hooked plate 15, so that it may be passed over thebolt or screw of the opposite terminal 16, which ma then be tightened tosecure that termina. The horizontal rods 2 of the free or end panelsections are provided, one with a late 17 having an aperture 18 therein,and t e other slip ed into the aperture 18 of the plate 17.

Alithough I have Shown the late 15, Fig. 4, with plain' sides, it may, Edesired, be formed with notches or ri ht angle recesses, such as shownin Fig. 7. s shown in F` s. 3 and 4, I prefer to turn up the ends 21 othe bifurcated hook 15, so that when the hook is passed over the bolt16, and the thumb nut 13 is screwed down, the washer 12 will be securedin place below the turned u ends of the bifurcated hook 15, and thus ookthe with a plate 19 having a pin 2O that may becarrying a machine nut 14in its interior, fits tions more than four in number, pivotallY sameagainst displacement until an ample number of turns of the thumb nut hasbeen accomplished to loosen the same.

I claim as my invention:

1. The herein described portable baby fence, comprising a plurality ofpanel secjointed one to the other, and foldable on eac i other so thatalternate panels will lie one on one side and the other on the otherside of an intermediate panel, and a clutch member at the joints adaptedto positively lock said` sections from movement relatively to oneanother, and means for securing the free or end sections together toform an inclosed polygon'.

2. The herein described portable baby fence, comprising a plurality ofsections pivotally secured one to the other, and means for joining thefree or end members of said sectlon to form an inclosed polygon, thepivotal joints of said fence conslsting of plates having an fularrecesses, a bolt having a polygonal shou der thereon for positiveengagement of the recesses of at least two plates, a turn nut adapted todraw said shoulder throu fh tWo of said lates, said turn nut engaging t1e thread of t e bolt, so that Whra the nut is loosened, it may bedepressed to cause the polygonal shoulder to disengage at least one ofthe lates.

Signed at New Yorlr city this 23rd day of September 1908.

RICHARD H. VILLARD.

Vitnesses:

F. WARREN WRIGHT, MABEL DITTENHOEFER.

